JOHN PAUL II’s beatification on May 1st will be the most exalted ceremony at the Vatican since his funeral six years ago. More than 50 heads of state are expected, plus hundreds of thousands of the faithful, largely from the late pope’s native Poland. The former pope is now just one stage—canonisation—away from full sainthood. The adulation of his communism-toppling 27-year reign and powerful personality will inevitably highlight the less stellar record of the accident-prone Benedict XVI.
"[L]ess stellar record"? Oh dear!
Why the heads of state for a beatification in the Roman Catholic Church? Oh right. The Vatican is a state, and the pope is a head of state. It's all so confusing.
Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of the Vatican’s semi-official daily, L’Osservatore Romano, says that Benedict’s actions show him to be “not just a great intellectual, but also a simple, humble, good man”. The peak of the scandal, in the “annus horribilis” of 2010, is past, he says. But he acknowledges that the situation in Ireland still requires a “long penitential journey”.
However, as mentioned in the article, there was the suspension of 21 Roman Catholic priests in Philadelphia, month before last, in the year 2011, and there could be more surprises ahead.
Thanks to Ann V for the link.
UPDATE: Torey Lightcap at The Lead posts that President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, despite his "total disregard for life", will be present at the ceremony.
"Less stellar record"? And on whose papal watch did the vast majority of the child-abuse cases occur?
ReplyDelete...sainthood... feh. He didn't even fight a dragon or nothing.... feh.
ReplyDeleteLapin, far be it from me to judge which pope is more or less stellar. I'll let God work that out.
ReplyDeletemargaret, indeed.
The Vatican enabled the visit of a human rights abuser, to the beatification of a man who enabled the abuse of children. Fitting, somehow. Birds of a feather.
ReplyDeleteMimi, this is only my second blog. My lady friends are afraid of the internet. Surely you don't take our names and give them to telemarketers, or worse. I will answer your question you ask after I wrote on the royal wedding thing and tell you how I found you. Most of your people seem like pros,butI will come back. What I wanted to say on this was that the doctor of the young man whose mother said his sight was brought back said he never last his sight. Mary
ReplyDeleteSeems Mugabe routinely uses "Vatican trips" as a means of side-stepping the EU ban. Mass murderers; pedophile-enabling cardinals - the Vatican's take on "give me your tired, your poor".
ReplyDeleteRe sainthood, what word on Oscar Romero? Well-placed right-wingers in El Salvador - those who shot him - seem to have that lid nailed tightly shut.
JCF, yes.
ReplyDeleteMary, I promise I will not turn your name in to telemarketers or worse. The only information I have about you is "Mary", which would not take me very far. Truly, I don't do that sort of thing to folks who leave comments here.
As to the miracles, nothing would surprise me. The church's insistence on a saint having to prove her/himself with a miracle is beyond ridiculous.
One notes that the English had the class to disinvite the ambassador of Syria, a man and a country that are a sweet fragrance in the nostrils compared to Mugabe, from their own celebration last week. Why are you not surprised at the contrast, I wonder? :(
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Mugabe is going to be there says everything about the Vatican that anyone needs to know.
ReplyDeleteThe Vatican's excuse is that they could not prevent Mugabe from attending, because he is a head of state, which is laughable, because heads of state do disinvite guests from other countries, as in Porlock's example above.
ReplyDelete